I wrote a blog for UCAfterCruz.com about joining the band!
Check it out by following the links below, there are two parts. 

I'm With The Band (Part 1)
I'm With The Band (Part 2)

We seem to have gone silent, but I am here to tell you, we are making more noise then ever!

We've been writing a BUNCH of neat new music. It's such an exciting feeling to making so much progress at such an accelerated pace, you know? It's only been about a year since Max, Tyler, Patrick and I got together and agreed that it was time to reunite. The new stuff has all of the old familiar feels with the fresh sounds, talents, and influences of Zack, Melissa, Francis, and Lindy. I really can't wait to show some of this stuff off to everyone. SKA IS NOT DEAD! And neither is Half Past Two, I hope that is obvious now :)

What a crazy year! What a neat journey. Here's a picture of Half Past Two in 2008, then a photo of us now in 2014. 


THANKS FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT!! See you at the upcoming shows, I hope!!

Well hello there boys and girls! Let me tell you a story of how I first got into playing music and which bands got me inspired to play what I play today.
 
In middle school the first band I ever got into was “Bush”. My best friend at the time and I started playing guitar around the 8th grade because we were both inspired by Bush and the movie “The Crow” to play the six string. We both thought the guitar scene in that movie was so badass! My very first concert ever was Bush with Veruca Salt at the Great Western Forum. I remember when I got my first guitar at that time which was a black on black fender squire with a maple neck as part of the whole “Strat pack” deal at Guitar Center. The only formal lessons I took when I first started was at a local park where this guitar teacher taught a class in the recreation center. I recall some of the first songs that I leaned were “Machine Head” and “Glycerine” by Bush, “Don’t Speak,” “Just a girl,” and “Spiderwebs” from No Doubt, and a few random Nirvana songs. Other than that I was just self-taught because I would just pick it up quick after I got the basics down.
 
Later towards the end of the 8th grade into high school I got really into No Doubt whose bassist Tony Kanal inspired me to want to switch from guitar to bass. Something about the way he played and the energy he had while playing took an interest to me. Soooooooo……I got my first bass which of course was a Yamaha because that’s what Tony played. It was a natural wood finished Yamaha BBN4 which had various paint jobs done on it over the years. I believe it was last painted in Neon glow in the dark green and had stickers all over it. Years later I gave it to my second cousin so she can learn how to play. So it now resides somewhere in Florida and probably collecting dust….ha!
 
To add more fuel to my fire of bass playing, I got into the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I was always kind of into them, but I got REALLY into them when my bass playing came along. Flea, their bassist, just took it to another level for me. Of course when you’re young you start emulating every single lick and move in the book that he does. Which I really think helped a lot because it made me learn how to improvise on the spot while playing based on feeling and emotions. To this day I use the same practice of improvising while jamming to come up with some of the coolest riffs, melodies, and hooks for songs. I would practice bass so much that my index finger would have a flat tip from all the skin being grinder away on the strings.
 
It wasn’t until my junior year that I started to play in a real “band”; with some friends from school, but that didn’t work out as well. Although during that process I got to meet Melissa Koziel (our drummer) and from there the both of us took it to a whole new level. Melissa and I formed our band which was called “Face the Fact” that did A LOT within two or three years (small tours, opening for good bands, played HOB Anaheim and the Glasshouse). But I’ll Let Melissa tell her own story now…………………………………..
 

I’d like to preface this story by mentioning that I was a pretty spacey kid. I was never particularly good at paying attention to anything, and my parents even have footage of 4 year old me in a dance recital, facing in a different direction than everyone else onstage. I rarely knew exactly where I was supposed to be going or doing, nor did I care, which is something that impacted me when I first began playing music.
 
I got my start playing the saxophone in 5^th grade, when our elementary school’s advanced band did a demonstration for all of us in the multipurpose room. I knew immediately that I wanted to be a part of this group, and more importantly that the saxophone looked incredibly cool, so I excitedly told my parents that day that I wanted to play. My parents were always really supportive of whatever extracurricular activities I wanted to pursue, so they agreed to let me join the beginner band and rent me a saxophone from our local music shop. To someone who’d never held a musical instrument other than an electronic keyboard in their life, the saxophone was a thing of awesome power and beauty, and I spent the entire car ride home pushing down every button I could, and the rest of the day wondering why I couldn’t make any sounds come out of it. Eventually my grandfather told me I needed a reed, so once I solved that problem I happily squawked away at my newfound pride and joy. I’m sure my neighbors loved it just as much as I did.
 
Towards the end of the year I missed several band rehearsals; I don’t remember my exact reasons but I’m sure they seemed valid to me at the time.  It only became problematic one day when we were all called in for an assembly, and I noticed everyone else in beginning band wasn’t there with the rest of my class. Weird. I followed along until we reached the auditorium, and then it hit me:
 
It was the concert.
 
I had no clue we were having the concert today, and here everyone was, onstage, without me.
 
Maybe if I’d been thinking a little more clearly, I would have quickly grabbed my instrument as the band was getting their things together, but 11 year olds are not known for their level headedness, so I sat with the rest Mrs. Thomas’s 5^th grade class, completely mortified. This was supposed to be my moment- not only was saxophone playing something I loved, it was something I was good at. I knew the ENTIRE G major scale, and I knew how to play an F natural as well! I watched with horror and shame as everyone else played the theme from Top Gun, Linus and Lucy, and Titanic, knowing that I could rock all of this and was stuck helpless in the audience. It was easily one of the most embarrassing moments of my elementary school career, so I started crying by the time my mom picked me up from school. I couldn’t bring myself to tell her why, and it wasn’t until high school that I told her about this dark, dark day.
 
It’s been 12 years since then and thankfully I’ve come a long way. I’m still a little spacey, but the cool thing about being an adult is that you’re able to manage it more and not miss any concerts you’re supposed to perform at. Hope to see you all at our August 1^st show at House of Blues! I’ll try to remember the date this time.

Hey everyone!  My name is Zack and I’m one of the new members of the band.  I thought I’d tell you guys a little bit about myself and how I found myself playing with this awesome group of people.

I am originally from Michigan, specifically the Upper Peninsula, or U.P.  They call us Yoopers and we have an accent that’s fairly close to Canadians or the one you hear in the movie Fargo.  Oh ya, you betcha, eh?  Carbonated soft drinks are “pop”, not “soda”.  When I go to band practice in Long Beach I take 405, not “the” 405.  I occasionally crave Yooper foods like pasties and pannukakku.

I started on the violin when I was really young (maybe 6? It’s at the edge of memory), but my teacher was really mean and even smellier so I quit and switched to piano.  I had a lovely older Korean lady, Mrs. Kim (of course :P), as a teacher for about 10 years.  In 6th grade I picked up the saxophone and it’s been my main instrument ever since.

When I lived in Ann Arbor (about 45 minutes West of Detroit) I was in an Afrobeat/funk band called First Flight (there are videos on youtube but hard to find unless you know what to look for) and also a ska band called Gunday Monday (www.gundaymonday.com).  Both of these bands were incredibly fun and I am so glad I got to be a part of both.  We got to open for both Mustard Plug and the Aquabats, and after I moved away the band opened for the Toasters as well.   

I moved to Irvine for grad school about 3 years ago.  The first two years I played some piano rock and some saxophone.  I played a couple shows.  I was having a pretty good time.

But something was missing.  

There was an itch that needed scratching.  Something in the back of my mind, old and almost lost in the mists of time, was trying to claw its way back to the surface.  I could feel in my steps an urge to kick out my legs and flail my arms in that all-too-familiar…let’s call it a “dance”.

I needed to join a ska band.

So, I turned to my good old friend Craig, who has this list, ya know? That’s when I saw the ad:  ”Ska band seeks horns.  Yes, that means you.  Join today!” (Okay so it didn’t actually say that, but it might as well have).  I shot an email off to Max and he sent back some recordings.  ”Hey these guys sound pretty good!”, I thought, so I set up an audition.  I learned 1000 Miles Away, We Want More, and Lyin’ Eyes, all the on tenor sax.  

When I got to the practice space I ended up parking all the way down the street. Tara came out to find me and usher me to our practice room, where I met Max and Tyler.  I then proceeded to nail everything perfectly, first try, as glorious golden sounds flowed from my silver horn.  Maybe that’s an exaggeration but I apparently did pretty well as they officially invited me to join the band the next day (apparently Max “had a good feeling” about it all).

So, there I was, happily learning all the songs on tenor for almost 2 months when Max sends me a message about auditioning another horn player, one that plays tenor.  Huh.  Okay.  Well, I’m more comfortable playing alto anyways, so I said sure.That’s when Lindy showed up and I proceeded to embarrass myself terribly since I decided I didn’t need to practice alto ahead of time.  While I think she was pretty nervous, she did well and we invited her to join.  I had to relearn everything, but that’s okay since now I can play alto, and Lindy turned out to be a great addition to the band (again, apparently Max “had a good feeling” about her, too.  He’s got good instincts).

Anyways, since then I’ve been having a blast practicing with the band and getting to know everyone.  I’ve learned a little bit of band history (Zombass, anyone?), been clued-in to band injokes (“can I get a little more me in the monitor?”), and have learned there is a list of things Tara is not allowed to do (like having a tambourine).  Most exciting of all, I learned that Half Past Two actually had a pretty good following back in the day and that people were genuinely excited to see the band performing again.  It was so great seeing so many of you at our comeback show last month and I hope to see even more of you at our show August 1st at the House of Blues.  

Besides getting ready for and then having the MOST AMAZING "Welcome Back" show we could have asked for, this last week I played tour guide to two good friends of mine, Olivier and James, visiting from the UK. This wasn't their first trip to the States or even to Southern California, but we were determined to make this trip a really awesome one; I like to have fun.

I picked them up from the airport last Thursday and Olivier was ready for some Yogurtland, but who isn't ever ready for Yogurtland? It's a destination, my friends. The jet-lag was taking over James and after we got them some groceries, we had them settle into their airBnB in West Hollywood. Such troopers, those two, really. Their body clocks were all jacked up but they managed to make it to our "Welcome Back" show on Sunday, it was so sweet. I even ended taking them to Las Vegas because... BECAUSE WHY NOT?! Didn't sleep. Ate at IHOP because they so badly wanted to try "shitty American diner food" specifically from an American chain, and they sampled each of the syrup flavors with a spoon. James kept asking for Wendy's, yet we never made it there. Visited Venice for the first time in years and even walked on the Malibu pier like a right tourist. You know what? I loved it all. I had the best time! I miss them both already.

Back at home James is a professional photographer and he was determined to get a video together of his trip here; something he could take back home that really captured all of the sunshine and excitement that we that live here regularly take for granted. Well... it's beautiful. He really is a great photographer and cinematographer because when we watched the video, all of the moments captured were bright and liberating; it made us want to do it all over again! I am so honored to have gotten to be a part of their vacation and the video. Take a look, it makes you feel so very alive!

 

We went to America for a week from James Perolls on Vimeo.

See more of James work here: jamesperolls.com
Tumblr: jamesperolls.tumblr.com

Summer doesn’t officially begin until the 21st, but school is over for me so let the sunshine on my face! 

What is everyone listening to? I want new music of all genres (but no Country, bleck… it’s a preference, blame my Country-loving parents for my blatant distaste for the genre). 

For me, Haim has been in heavy in rotation for months now. I love a good band with bad ass women. I know everyone is hating on them for “shaming” Rihanna, but people… is that really possible? Rihanna is a strong, beautiful goddess of a woman! And everyone is entitled to their opinions, it just sucks when people are so negative (you too, Haim). But yeah, let’s hear those Summer Jam suggestions. My body is ready!

Hello friends,
 
There have been some rumblings of questions about what is going on with Half Past Two so I thought it would be a good idea to lay down a brief (as possible) account of the past (almost) 8 years.
 
My name is Max Beckman and in the Fall of 2003 I had the crazy idea to start a ska cover band to play my senior year high school talent show.  Then, in August of 2006, I had a crazier idea: let's make the band REAL!  The next several months included members coming and going, several practices consisting of myself and one or two horns, and a whole lot of uncertainty whether this band would ever amount to anything or even play a real show.
 
Thankfully after a couple months we found Tara.  Though Tara and I had gone to school together for 7 years we had never actually talked to each other (at least that I can remember).   Things snowballed from there and we finally made our big debut on April 22, 2007.  Some highlights of the next two years: recorded an EP produced by Aaron Barrett, opened for Reel Big Fish at the House of Blues, went on tour with Reel Big Fish, went on tour with No Torso from Norway, recorded our full-length album with Aaron producing again, played a bunch of other awesome gigs, and generally had the time of our lives. 
 
Unfortunately, for me, that ended in May of 2009.  The details will remain private but I was forced out of the band that I created, named, and nurtured (although certainly not single-handedly) and that band meant everything to me.  It was, quite simply, one of the worst days of my life. 
 
Time went on, I pursued other interests (hey kids, comics!) and only kept in touch with a few of the other members.  I heard about other drama that went down along the way but pretty much stayed out of the scene. 
 
Smash cut to the fall of last year when, after a few failed attempts over the years, Tara and I met up for lunch at Panera Bread (mmmmm Creamy Tomato in a bread bowl) and reconnected after four and a half years.  We decided that day to be a band again.  Looking around online, Half Past Two appeared dead.  The last show had been a year and half previous, members were on tour with other bands, living in other cities, other states, even other countries.  There hadn't been activity on any social media in many months and the updates were unrelated to band activity.  Since the band was completely dormant, we thought it would be pretty neat if we could pick up the reigns and once again be Half Past Two.
 
Tyler was the only member to be in the band from the very first show to the present and he was also the only "active" member still living in the area.  Tara, Patrick and myself decided to set up a meeting with Tyler to see what the deal was. 
 
Eager to reconnect, reconcile, and get the band back on track, the four of us decided to forge ahead.  The next several months were filled with getting ducks in rows and finding some awesome musicians to fill the shoes of our former collaborators which brings us to this day.  We've been practicing as a band for a couple months already and it feels very right.  It's time to bring this band back out into the world. 
 
See ya soon,
Max
 

Went to another Pantle Palace show/house party last weekend; those parties are so neat! It was great to watch Skapeche Mode, Skadonna, and The Moan in the middle of someone’s living room, just wow cool!

What happened to having house parties? Maybe I’ve just gotten too old to frequent them, but I still watch all of my late ’90s teen-scene movies (Can’t Hardly Wait, 10 Things I Hate About You, She’s All That, etc.) and house parties used to be the happs! If I had a house for one, I’d be throwing them often… someday! But in the mean time, if you’ve got the house to yourself, invite some people over and bring a guitar! House parties are where it’s at :)

I try to spend time with my family, even if the teenager inside me is rolling her eyes and asking, “Do we have to?” For this Valentine’s weekend, they went dirt bike riding in Barstow.

THIS IS NOT MY THING. Last time I met them in the desert, I left with a bloody mangled hand that will never be or look the same. But I love my parents and my siblings. I love them a lot. I love them so much, I would sit bored in the desert for a whole day.

I wonder what rolling through there in a wagon train was like. And I couldn’t help but play “Lookin’ Hot” by No Doubt because the video was in the desert and AMAZING! I wasn’t put off by the theme, but I read that the Native American community was quite offended. No Doubt removed the video from YouTube and stated that they met with a expert historian on the topic and understand what is to be considered objectionable to the NA community. That’s pretty cool of them! I found the full video on Vimeo, for entertainment, not to provoke you!

No Doubt // Looking Hot from The Wall Group on Vimeo.

Happy Valentine’s to you and to your families that you love and love you back very much!